The elusive Indextron

[jhalphen]

Hi to All,

To Dinkar, will send the CKC-021 color VF data ASAP.

New photo uploads:

The now recapped 1968 Sony KV-7010U operating properly:
http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...n%20-%207inch/

Some screen shots of the RCA CC-030 Beam-Index color viewfinder. I have a new camera with Macro-Zoom function and at least this one will focus on the tiny 1.5" screen. John FolsomJr still makes the best screen shots, but i am learning...

http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...%20Color%20VF/

And last, but not least, TRUE SCREEN SHOTS of the Sony XEL-1, the first consumer OLED TV - Remember! you saw it FIRST on VK!

Tech notes:
The European version of the XEL-1 has an all band/all Euro formats analogue & digital reception capabilities, SD & HD.

In analogue: PAL B/G-i-K... & French SECAM L
In digital: DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial)
- MPEG-2 in SD, 625/50
- MPEG-4 in HD, 1080i (OTA in France) & 1080p.

No analogue input available, only 2x HDMI.

The screen being an 11" diagonal 16:9 format, it does not have full 1920 x1080 resolution but a native resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. Still, subjectively, the resolution, contrast, color, dynamic range and total absence of angular directivity is absolutely jaw-dropping.

The pictures are genuine unretouched photos, other than resizing to 800x600 from the original 4000x3000 shots.

OLEDs seem to be way to the future - i just hope the blue phosphor holds up in time, short blue life is/was the plague of early OLED technology.

http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/k...1%20OLED%20TV/

Best Regards

jhalphen
Paris/France

[rca2000]

My email..

Jsouth1@cinci.rr.com

Thanks for the schematics of the VF. I suppose I do not need those of the camera either. One of mine IS a CC-030 for sure---the other I think is newer. I mainly want the VF stuff.

[Dinkar]

jhalphen,

Thank you for your service manual, now it worked, but some small problems, it is B-W, no color.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by Dinkar

jhalphen,

Thank you for your service manual, now it worked, but some small problems, it is B-W, no color.

The photocell assembly needs to be fairly close to the front of the CRT to pick up the information from the index stripes... also, room light can interfere with the indexing function. Did you try to operate it in a fairly dark room?
jr

[Sandy G]

Well, at least you know its a good CRT...Shouldn't be too much wrong w/it...The color looks like its TRYING to work...

[Dinkar]

I have tried in fairly dark room, off light, as is the B-W.

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by Dinkar

I have tried in fairly dark room, off light, as is the B-W.

It has been a few years since I "played" with my VF...but I am SURE that if the photocells are NOT positioned correctly in front of the screen you will not have color. I recall that if ONE of the cells was covered--you would get a "weird" picture, with "confetti" all through it or such--and if BOTH cells were blocked--the color was gone and a "somewhat " BW picture was the result.

That color VF was a -neat idea...fun to play with... but it is NOT really practical to use out of the case--since the index stripes are picked up on the OUTSIDE of the tube--and ANY external light will "mess things up". On the Sony vidimagic, the index info is picked up on the REAR of the tube and from a DIFFERENT phospor--that glows a bright green--from the rear of the screen!!

[Dinkar]

Originally Posted by rca2000

It has been a few years since I "played" with my VF...but I am SURE that if the photocells are NOT positioned correctly in front of the screen you will not have color. I recall that if ONE of the cells was covered--you would get a "weird" picture, with "confetti" all through it or such--and if BOTH cells were blocked--the color was gone and a "somewhat " BW picture was the result.

That color VF was a -neat idea...fun to play with... but it is NOT really practical to use out of the case--since the index stripes are picked up on the OUTSIDE of the tube--and ANY external light will "mess things up". On the Sony vidimagic, the index info is picked up on the REAR of the tube and from a DIFFERENT phospor--that glows a bright green--from the rear of the screen!!

Yes, but try to move the photocells of the position, tested many times, no change is not the same color

[Dinkar]

http://www.myvintagetv.com/philco_apple_tube.htm

For more information on The Philco Apple CRT

[andy]

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[crtfool]

jr - You're NO fun, but I DO understand why you don't want to take it apart! I have gotten much better at fighting the desire to take everything I get apart, which was not the case in my younger days. Now I only take things apart if they were acquired for that specific purpose, or if I absolute have to because it needs to be repaired.

I don't know how I missed the photos in Eckhard's posting! The Indextron tube looks a lot larger than the 1 in the Watchcube TV. Very interesting unit.

[etype2]

Good day to all,

I finally have my Sony KVX Indextron in good working order. Andy Cuffe worked on it, big thank you to Andy.

There is a description of the repair and screen shots on my website if your interested. Just scroll down to the bottom.

The link: http://www.visions4.net/journal/time...e-a/indextron/

[Scott_Est]

Hello

Thank you for answering. I sent a PM.

I agree with You, this indexing system is much more complicated compared to usual three-beams CRT-s.

I found one schematic for normal size (over 20") screen TV with indexing scan, there are less IC's and more transistors. Color processing and beam syncronisation seems to be two separate blocks, between them was simple RGB signal. If it's same case with viewfinder, then making conversion is not that hard. But that will be known after through analysing of the schematics.

I have experience only with the digital receiver boxes. Besides digital HDMI output, there are option for analog output, either RGBout via Euroconnector, and PAL or NTSC composite format. Well, these "inner" converters are beyond from perfection and really, even on that tiny 1,5" screen picture quality is bad compared to PAL (black&white of course with that viewfinder) signal.

I found at ebay some cameras with color viewfinder, even as cheap as 5 US$, but seller would post only inside USA. I bought mine with 30$, but postage to Europe was twice as that. So I abandoned the camera itself and the seller was kind to send only the vf part to keep postage more reasonable level.

Best Regards

Scott

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by Scott_Est

I found at ebay some cameras with color viewfinder, even as cheap as 5 US$, but seller would post only inside USA. I bought mine with 30$, but postage to Europe was twice as that. So I abandoned the camera itself and the seller was kind to send only the vf part to keep postage more reasonable level.

Yeah, postage between North America and Europe can be a real wallet-killer. Just recently I got a postage quote for a "Black Beauty headlight" (Lucas Ranger), which are of British origin.

Sellers that won't ship outside the USA, there's another big problem.

[andy]

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